In addition, one in three of them lost about 70 per cent or more of their colonies.

The losses will also affect the vegetable and fruit growers who depend on the bees for pollination, says the statement.

The association explains that beekeepers experience losses after most winters and will split their hives and add new queens to make new colonies. This helps to recover their losses.

When beekeepers experience a loss of more than 20 per cent, they will need to purchase new queens and bees. Losses of more than 50 per cent of a hive can be “catastrophic.” And that means “colonies will be in recovery mode all summer.”

According to the association, one in four beekeepers have said with these kinds of losses they may not be able to continue in beekeeping.